Northern Limit Line is sure to resonate
for South Korean patriots and family members of soldiers, though the film loses
impact as an import. This is somewhat true because of the specific relevance
this event has on Korean history, and expecting the impact to be the same
outside of the country would be like Hollywood anticipating a film about 9/11
doing well in European theaters. More importantly, the approach to Northern Limit Line is transparently
one-sided, with the North Koreans coming off more like villains from a James
Bond film than fully fleshed out characters. This makes for a patriotic piece
of South Korean Navy propaganda, though not as convincingly as a piece of art.

The film is
based on the second battle of Yeonpyeong, which took place in the yellow sea
during the 2002 World Cup. The calculated surprise attack by Northern
Korea on Battleship 357 is never adequately explained. I’m still
not entirely clear on the intention of these actions, and Northern Limit Line seems completely uninterested in investigating.
This is not a movie that looks for understanding or an accurately balanced
representation of events; this is a movie made as monument to the soldiers lost
in the unexpected battle. While I respect the instinct to honor their memory
cinematically, the true story feels mostly fitting for those with a faithful
patriotism to South Korea.

With most of South Korea distracted by the hosting of the
FIFA World Cup, North Korea
made the plans to attack, though we never get a clear understanding of their
goals or intentions behind the naval assault. We are given slightly more
insight into the thought process of the South Korean army, but the most significant
human perspective comes from medicPark Dong-hyeok (Lee Hyun
Woo). The lengthy film takes its time introducing numerous characters aboard
Battleship 357, but this is the one which remains recognizable after the action
has begun. All of the rest tend to blend together once the firefight begins,
despite the bloated establishing scenes.

I can certainly
understand and appreciate the intentions of a film like Northern Limit Line, though that doesn’t necessarily make it a good
film. Even when the well-shot action begins to take place in the final act of
the movie, the events don’t have the same impact without an understanding of
why the attack occurred in the first place. And no matter how much time is
spent establishing the relationships on the ship, there are too many characters
in the film for any of the deaths to resonate the way they should. Too much is
attempted and the approach is too transparent, making Northern Limit Line a
rather forgettable film about an event only the countries involved are likely
to take interest in.

The Blu-ray
release doesn’t include any special features. There are a few sequences of
battle which utilize the high definition. Some of the digital effects are
improved by this, and the sound is often crucial to the presentation of war
films, but the surround sound never truly impresses.